The Los Angeles Rams National Football League team begins its first big event in the Los Angeles area this week. Last Tuesday, they opened their preseason summer camp at UC Irvine, the same spot they trained at when they played at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium) from 1980-94.

The Rams, however, will play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first three seasons here, the same spot where they played from 1946-79. Then, they will move to their new stadium in Inglewood. The name of that stadium is yet to be determined.

Until Saturday, Ram practices will be private, before open to the public on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Rams will hold a practice at the Coliseum on Aug. 6 beginning at 3 p.m. They begin exhibition play at the Coliseum where they host the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 13, beginning at 5 p.m.

Autographs will be available for youth ages 14 years old and under. It will be following the practices.

Gates will be open 90 minutes before each practice.

The Rams begin their regular season on Sept. 12 against the San Francisco 49’ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and have their home opener on Sept. 19 against the former University of Southern California head coach Pete Carroll mentored Seattle Seahawks. Game time is 1 p.m.

Quarterback Battle: Former University of California quarterback Jared Goff, who the Rams selected in the first overall pick in the NFL draft in April, and Case Keenan are in a close battle for their starting quarterback.

In the draft, the Rams concentrated heavily on the receiving corps that Goff or Keenan can throw to. These include wide receives Pharoh Cooper and Michael Thomas and tight ends Tyler Higbee and Temarrick Hemingway.

L.A. appears to be improved at the position but the quarterbacks and receivers are mostly young with little experience and it could take time.

Is Kershaw done for 2016?---For awhile, things looked good for ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw to return to the L.A. Dodgers’ starting rotation.

Early last week during a simulated 60-pitch session, though, his lower back pain returned and the Dodgers decided to shut him down indefinitely. He could have to have surgery and be lost for the season, which could be a big one.

The Dodgers, though, managed a recent 5-4 road trip and are closing in on their rival San Francisco Giants for the National League Western Division lead. Last Sunday in St. Louis, Scott Kasmier improved to 9-3 as the Dodgers downed the host Cardinals 9-6 to improve their record to 56-44, while the Giants, who lost seven of their last eight, are in first at 58-40. They returned to Dodger Stadium take on the Tampa Bay Devilrays in the first of two interleague games on Tuesday. They host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday at 7 p.m.

Schakel chooses San Diego State: Bishop Montgomery High boys’ basketball standout Jordan Schakel, who could be an all-American candidate, committed to playing basketball at San Diego State University last week.

Schakel is a four-star prospect, according to ESPN’s recruiting service. He also considered PAC-12 schools, USC, California and Stanford, before choosing San Diego State. Both of Schakel’s parents are USC alumni.

Last season at Bishop Montgomery, Schakel averaged 18.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in keying the Knights to a 31-3 record; two of those losses being to eventual CIF-Southern Section and California State Open Division champion Chino Hills, which ended its season at 35-0 and is considered by many as one of the top boys’ basketball teams ever in United States prep basketball history. Schakel also made 81 three-point baskets. Bishop Montgomery lost in the Southern Section Open Division semifinals to Chatsworth Sierra Canyon but made the Southern California Regional Open Division championship where it lost to Sierra Canyon 84-62 on March 18 at the Cal State Long Beach Pyramid. Chino Hills ended up ranked No. 1 in the United States by virtually all prep sports polls. Schakel will be a senior in the fall.

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Ex-Serra star seeks spot in Major League Baseball

By Joe Snyder

Sports Editor

It was a little over three years ago that Serra High baseball standout Dominic Smith led the Cavaliers to their only CIF-Southern Section title, winning the Division III championship with an 8-1 victory over Manhattan Beach Mira Costa at Dodger Stadium.

About a week and a half later, Smith was taken in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets. He was the 11th pick overall.

Since then, Smith has made progress and is hoping to soon be called up to the big Mets squad. Currently he is playing in Binghamton of the Double-A division. At Binghamton, Smith is currently batting .293 with 11 home runs and 65 runs batted in. Smith also received an honor in playing in the Futures All-Star game earlier this month and Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. On July 12, Petco also hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star game that was won by the American League 4-2 over the National League.

Smith, who turned 21 years old in June, played last season at Port St. Lucie, an A League team from the Florida League, where he hit .305 with six homers and 79 RBI’s. He led the league with 33 doubles and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.

It could be anytime that Smith could be called up by the Mets or, at least, that he will move on to Las Vegas, Nev. to play on the AAA franchise. In the near future, Smith will be back at Dodger Stadium as a New York Met, unless he gets traded to another team.

Smith played his youth ball with the Holly Park Little League in Hawthorne, helping those all-star teams reach the Southern California divisional and even one to the Western Regionals. He was also involved with Revival of Baseball in the Inner Cities at the Urban Youth Academy on the campus of El Camino College-Compton Center. Several MLB stars played there including New York Yankees pitching standout CC Sabathia, Jimmy Rollins and ex-L.A. Dodger standout James Loney.

Smith went on to play for Serra, under head coach Wilmer Aaron (2009-15). He keyed the Cavaliers to the 2013 CIF-SS Division III crown. A year earlier, Serra advanced to the Southern Section Division V semifinals where it lost to eventual champion Oak Hills from Hesperia.

Two former Torrance High players are seeking spots in Major League Baseball, as well. Tyrone Taylor, a 2012 graduate of Torrance, is batting .238 with six home runs and 22 RBI’s for Double A Giloxi, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Taylor batted .260 with three homers, 43 RBI’s and 10 stolen bases for Giloxi last season.

Another ex-Tartar, Trent Gilbert, who graduated from Torrance in 2011, is with A Beloit from the Oakland Athletics organization. He is doing well, hitting .276 with one home run and 29 RBI’s. Gilbert has 23 doubles. In 2015, Gilbert batted .252 with six homers and 52 RBI’s on the A’s two A squads. He was picked in the 14th round by the A’s out of University of Arizona in the 2014 MLB draft.